Police seized a Tesla Cybertruck being driven illegally in the UK
Bury Police
- Police in England last week seized a Cybertruck as they are not legal to drive on UK roads.
- The Tesla vehicle is not on sale in Europe, and attempts to import it are not going well.
- The Cybertruck's weight and sharp edges mean it is unlikely to win European approval anytime soon.
The Cybertruck is now regularly seen on US roads — but attempts to import it across the Atlantic are not going well.
A modified version of Tesla's electric pickup was seized in the UK on Thursday, with police warning that it's not legal to drive there and could pose a danger to pedestrians and other road users.
The Cybertruck, which appears to have been fitted with a light bar and a custom "Cyberbeast" wrap, was stopped in the town of Whitefield, near Manchester in northwest England.
Authorities confiscated the vehicle after finding that the Cybertruck was registered and insured abroad, which is illegal in the UK.
In a post on X, Bury police warned that the EV did not have a "certificate of conformity," making it illegal to drive on public roads in the UK.
"Whilst this may seem trivial to some, legitimate concerns exist around the safety of other road users or pedestrians if they were involved in a collision with a Cybertruck," police said.
The Cybertruck has become a common sight on US roads since it launched in 2023 — but despite arriving in Mexico and Canada last year, it remains unavailable in Europe, one of Tesla's biggest markets.
The truck's sharp edges, which have seen some owners report injuries in the US, likely breach rules in the European Union and UK that prevent vehicles with "sharp external projections" being sold.
The weight of the Cybertruck also poses a barrier for any European Tesla fans looking to ship one across the Atlantic.
The vehicle weighs 8,830 to 9,170 pounds, or between 4.4 and 4.5 tons when factoring in passengers and cargo. That means it's probably too heavy to be driven in Europe with a standard driver's license, experts previously told BI. Most drivers in the UK and EU need a different license for vehicles over 7,700 pounds.
A few modified Cybertrucks have been imported into Europe. Campaign groups have called for the truck to be banned completely after a truck with rubber-padded edges was registered in the Czech Republic last year.
Tesla has not made any announcement about a potential UK or EU launch and there's doubt about potential demand in Europe.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
Do you own a Cybertruck outside the US? Get in touch with this reporter at tcarter@businessinsider.com